Mark Williams was a 19-year-old kid armed with little more than his impeccable taste when he began a career that spans R.E.M. and Raury—a career that’s still going strong nearly four decades later. Along the way, Mark has worked at I.R.S., A&M, Virgin, Outpost, Interscope and, for the last five years, Columbia. In his present gig, he’s doing what he’s always done—spotting talent, connecting with artists, making records and doing his best to enable art and commerce to coexist. Mark is one of the good ones.